Congrats to the winner of the two Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex passes – Lisa Huggabuggie!
Lisa I will be contacting you shortly so you may claim your prize. Thank you so much to everyone who entered!
2015 Holiday Gift Guide for Her
When I created this holiday gift guide I have to admit I was mostly thinking about what I wanted for Christmas!
It can be so hard to choose a gift for someone, but when it comes to yourself it’s just so much easier. I had way too much fun putting this list together! I’m also giving away with a few of the items on this list at the end of this post. Enter to win a few of these items as a gift for someone, or a little gift for yourself for all of the hard work you are doing over the holidays.
Check out my 2015 Holiday Gift Guide for Her below!
1. Diptyque Mimosa Candle & Kate Spade Pretty and Witty Candle
The small version of this diptyque candle is always sold out! Both in stores and online it’s a hard one to find. The smell is pretty fab, and who doesn’t love mimosa’s? It needs to be mine. I love to see how people find ways to use the glass after the candle is long gone as well. This Kate Spade candle is such a cute decorative candle – perfect for a desk or vanity!
2. Anthropologie Shimmered Pocket Scarf
I love scarves, and I love sequins – it doesn’t get any better when the two are combined! And pockets? This may be the most amazing scarf ever.
3. West Elm St. Jude Brass Love Object
How beautiful is is “love” paperweight? It would look fabulous on a desk or on a coffee table, and West Elm will donate 50% of the purchase price of each one sold to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Free delivery, and in less than two hours? It sounds to be too good to be true. Oh, and the bouquets are gorgeous. The arrangements change often, and the delivery area continues to expand which you can view on their website. Just in Toronto now, but if you live outside of Toronto like myself it would be the perfect gift for a friend or family member in the city. We aren’t talking about your average cookie-cutter bouquet wrapped in cheesy paper! A flower delivery like this would feel like a truly special gesture.
5. Paris is Always a Good Idea Mug & Starbucks Rainbow Macaron Mug
I completely agree that Paris is ALWAYS a good idea, and this Starbucks is beyond adorable. Although, I would probably need to eat macarons every time I drink from it. Maybe the mug isn’t a good idea.
6. Pottery Barn Alphabet Throw
Who wouldn’t want a customized throw? Not only is it cozy, but you can have it personalized with colour, and with a letter. Monogrammed items always seem to feel like such a thoughtful and carefully planned gift because of the extra effort to make it for the receiver.
7. eos Holiday 2015 Limited Edition Decorative Lip Balm
My obsession with lip gloss basically runs my life. If I leave the house without one I usually drive back home to get it, or I run to a store to buy one enroute to wherever I’m going. How cute is it that you can customize your lip balm with sparkles? Obviously everyone needs this in their life.
8. Phantom Glass Screen Protector
Can you believe that as I was installing this case I dropped my phone on the floor and cracked my screen? Oh the irony! After fixing my screen I easily installed my chic new Phantom Glass screen protector and was instantly in love. Not only was my screen being protected with Corning Gorilla glass (sounds serious right?), but I LOVE the gold cover on mine! It looks fabulous, and I can’t tell at all the glass is covering my screen. I can’t say enough about how much I love it. I am totally buying one for my iPad.
Rose gold is also available along with a clear version or other colours, and they even have screen protectors for cameras. Trust me, you don’t want to pay for a cracked screen on your phone, tablet or camera.
If you don’t follow the Humans of New York blog by Brandon Stanton you are missing out. Brandon takes photos of people he stops walking not only in New York, but lately on his blog he has been travelling around the world. He asks them about themselves, and some of the stories are incredible. This book is the perfect coffee table book that anyone would love to read.
Now, a giveaway! I’m giving away 4 fabulous items from my Holiday Gift Guide. They are:
An iPhone 6 Gold Phantom Glass Screen Protector
eos Holiday 2015 Limited Edition Decorative Lip Balm
Paris is Always a Good Idea Mug
To win, all you need to do is comment below this blog post with what your favourite item was from this gift guide. That’s it! One entry per person, and this contest is open to Canadian residents only. The contest ends on Thursday, December 10th, 2015 at midnight, and one randomly selected winner will be announced on Friday, December 11th, 2015.
Good luck to everyone who enters!
Little Live Pets Lil’ Turtle Tank Review + Giveaway!
With the holidays coming up, it’s always helpful to get ideas of what toys kids really like before you go shopping! This week my son received the Little Live Pets Lil’ Turtle Tank for review, and we are going to share our thoughts on it with you!
When my son first saw the toy he was pretty excited because he thought I really got him a turtle. When I told him the turtle was just pretend, he was probably just as excited because it was his to keep. I’m not sure we are at the stage where he could understand caring for a pet, so this was a much easier opportunity to see what his attention span would be.
We unpackaged the turtle and his tank, and I had to add a AAA battery to the turtle. There was a pretty large on button on the bottom of the turtle which my son was able to turn on and off himself.
The turtle walks on the ground, or he swims in the tank. When you dunk him into the water he also rights himself so he is upright and swimming. All I needed to do for set up was add water, and that was it! The tank can be closed with a snap so the turtle can be put away for next time.
To get a really good idea of how the toy works I took this video on what the Lil’ Turtle could do! My son’s laughter is really cute – he really loves his new pet! The turtles name is supposed to be Stary, but he calls him Fred.
http://youtu.be/s2VzTKzkAI0
I thought the Lil’ Turtle Tank would be a great way to teach a child how to learn responsibility with a pet. You can purchase the Little Live Pets Lil’ Turtle Tank at Toys ‘R’ Us, TV Showcase, Loblaws, and at other major retailers.
I’m giving away a Little Live Pets Lil’ Turtle Tank on the blog! Head over to my Facebook post here, and tag a friend in the comments section to enter! One reader will be selected randomly. The contest ends on Wednesday, December 9th, 2015 at midnight. This contest is only open to Canadians, and you may enter multiple times as long as each entry is done separately and you are tagging a different person.
Good luck to everyone who enters!
For more details on this product visit www.LittleLivePets.ca!
Disclaimer: This product was provided to me for review, but all opinions are fabulously my own.
Winner of the $100 Oshawa Centre Gift Card
Thank you to everyone who entered the contest! The winner of the $100 gift card is Lindsey Richards! Lindsey, I will contact you shortly to claim your prize. Thank you to everyone who entered!
The Oshawa Centre’s New Santa’s Snowy Valley Holiday Experience + $100 Gift Card Giveaway!
I live in Whitby, so the Oshawa Centre has always been my hometown mall. I have been so excited for the expansion and redevelopment that’s been happening over the last few months! Expected to be completed in Fall 2016, there will be 60 new stores, a new 1000-seat food court and two new restaurants.
Last weekend I was able to get a sneak peak at Santa’s Snowy Valley, the new holiday experience at all the mall.
First up, valet parking! Valet parking is my jam. I love leaving my warm car to head straight into the mall, leaving my heavy jacket behind so I can shop. Why fight for a parking space when someone can park your car for you? This new service runs until December 24th, 2015 and I am going to enjoy every minute of it. You can drop your car off at the Town Shoes entrance, and you can’t miss the valet parking booth with the attendants in their branded outfits ready to make your day a whole lot easier. Did I mention valet parking was free as well? If you opt-in to the text messaging service then all you need to do is text “CAR”, and the valet will have your car ready when you are.
Also new to the Oshawa Centre is the OC Holiday Nook. If you read the blog on the regular (which obviously you do because you are known for making awesome decisions, right?) then you know I am a lover of all things exclusive. The OC Holiday Nook is reminiscent of a VIP lounge in the middle of the holiday madness. Customers can enjoy a comfy place to relax in between shopping, and it includes complimentary hot chocolate on select weekends and a custom marshmallow bar for those who choose to enter to win the weekly contests they have running. An iPad station is set up where you can enter to win one of the fabulous holiday contests running this season, and there will also be gift-wrapping available with proceeds benefitting the United Way. It’s a great spot to pick up an OC gift card as well if you don’t win my gift card giveaway below!
Santa’s Snowy Valley is an amazing new experience at the mall where your little one’s can meet one of the most impressive Santa’s I’ve seen. This Santa was the real deal – he was absolutely lovely to my son, and he really looked the part. Snowy Valley is a gorgeous display, and it was really pretty to walk through the setup. Every child who visit’s Santa (while quantities last) will receive a treat from Purdy’s and a free plush mini polar bear.
We stopped by on the day Santa arrived so there were some extra fun activities like cookie decorating!
The winter wonderland that has been created in centre court at the Oshawa Centre made our Santa visit a little more magical. It really was an impressive display.
The Toronto Zoo is also on-site beside the Santa set on November 22, November 27th, December 12th and December 19th with activities including Zoo Keeper talks, Adopt-An-Animal special polar bear package opportunities, and other educational interactive activities.
In partnership with Autism Durham, the Oshawa Centre will host 2 silent Santa mornings where children with Autism and special needs can meet Santa in a friendly atmosphere on November 29th and December 6th. You must RSVP directly to Autism Durham to participate, and families who have an appointment will receive a free 6 x 8 photo, and can purchase additional photo packages. You can reach Autism Durham at 905-432-5092.
Now that I have filled you in on all of the new holiday changes made to the Oshawa Centre, how about a gift card to spend for your own visit to the mall?
I am giving away a $100 gift card for the Oshawa Centre to one lucky reader. Entering is easy – just use the Rafflecopter widget below! The contest runs until Monday, November 30th, 2015 at midnight. The winner will be randomly selected via the Rafflecopter App, and this contest is open to Canadian residents only.
Good luck to everyone who enters!